Why Blogging?

Maria, why are you starting a blog? Great question; I’m not quite sure yet. When I was on maternity leave from teaching with Teddy, our oldest, I found myself feeling very isolated. We lived in a rural community, in the backwoods of Vermont, and I had no family close by. So when the time came that I had questions about the brand new world of parenting, what did I do? Like any good Millennial, I turned to the internet. I read blogs, watched vlogs, and followed other moms on social media. I learned a lot that way, but more importantly I felt a part of a community.

In January 2020, we found out that Michael’s unit was being deployed later in the year and it made us rethink our plans for the upcoming school year. We decided that with a toddler and a newborn, commuting an hour (each way) to work every day wasn’t going to work for me while he was gone. So we started to prepare for me becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom. Then COVID-19 hit. It was (and still is) a crazy, hectic time for teachers. I suddenly had my full time job, a toddler home full time, and was in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Did I mention that Michael was an essential worker, working 12 hour night shifts at a surge hospital? It was overwhelming to say the least. In my time balancing all of the things, I realized that there were so many things I didn’t know about having a toddler. So I did the thing that I always do when I have a spark of passion/curiosity and I researched the crap out of all things developmentally appropriate for a 2 year old; eating habits, play habits, routines, social/emotional development. You name it, I researched it.

As I debated working vs. staying home, I realized that what I really want is to stay home with my boys, but also do something for myself. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I knew I wanted to use my passion for teaching, my new found knowledge of early childhood development, and the Mama Community I had found in some way.

Thus the parenting blog idea was formed. I am by no means an expert in any one area of childhood development, but I hope to gather resources and experts in different fields and have them all in one place that parents can come to when they need help. If you have any specific topics that you want me to cover, please contact me! This space is a place where I can share all of the information that I have learned, but it is ultimately for you, parents.